Here is our next Europe trip! We’ll
start off in Zurich, Switzerland one of the most beautiful cities in
Europe.
The city is a
cultural Mecca, and in international polls frequently figures among the
most desirable cities in the world to live in. In the 19th and 20th
centuries in particular it attracted many notable writers, artists and
composers. Today it boasts not only many
museums, theatres and
concert halls, but some 500 bars, nightclubs and discos.
As a
“metropolis of experiences” by the water, with a magnificent view of the
snowcapped Alps on the horizon, Zürich Downtown Switzerland offers a
unique mixture of attractions – over 50 museums and more than 100 art
galleries, international fashion labels and Zürich designs, and the most
flamboyant and lively nightlife in Switzerland. Recreational activities
range from a visit to the riverside and lakeside bathing areas in the
very heart of the city, to a spectacular hike on the Uetliberg mountain.
Historic sites
and enchanting countryside abound, from the monument to William Tell to
commanding mountain peaks, from cities to remote Alpine valleys, from
baroque monasteries to deserted canyons. Surfers brave wind and waves,
lake steamers leave majestic wakes, colourful paragliders dot the sky.
Mountain trains and suspended cable cars mount the peaks. This is
Central Switzerland, the Switzerland of freedom and holidays.
We'll have a variety of tours set up including hiking, train trips and
visiting the
Reichenau, where the broad Domleschg valley presents views of Europe’s
largest cluster of castles. We will be putting together an itinerary
soon. In the mean time check out the
great day trips by train. And here's a site with
plenty of other ideas. Here's a
very cool map of Zurich with links to all sorts of excursions.
Then, we'll fly to
Prague for 4 nights, a city that has
become one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations. Prague was
once the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. It was largely undamaged by
WWII, and the cityscape is stunning. Its compact medieval centre
remains an evocative maze of cobbled lanes, ancient courtyards, dark
passages and churches beyond number, all watched over by an
1100-year-old castle. Its traditional pubs and eateries have been
augmented by a wave of gourmet restaurants, cocktail bars and trendy
cafes. We’ll wander around Old Town Square with its many wonderful
Gothic and baroque buildings. We’ll see the famous 15th-century
astronomical clock at the Old
Town Hall. Every hour, crowds assemble below to watch Christ and the twelve
Apostles appear at two little windows above the clock face, followed by
the skeleton of Death tolling the bell. In the evenings we’ll find
some of Europe’s best jazz
venues, excellent opera, and innovative theater. We may even take a countryside
tour to discover genuine Czech rural culture and community life in a
small village.
Finally we head to
Vienna for the next 3 nights.
Known for their medieval streets and magnificent cathedrals and
palaces, this promises to be a wonderful destination. Magnificent
Hofburg Palace, Belvedere
Palace, extensive gardens, museums, music, architecture, trendy clubs and
restaurants are all waiting for us. We’ll stroll through the old
Jewish Quarter and see the only Viennese synagogue to have survived the
1938 Kristallnacht. More famous composers have lived here than in any
other city including Mozart, Strauss and Tchaikovsky.
We'll take a nice boat ride on the Danube to visit
the beauty of the Wachau. Through this romantic scenery full of history
and l
egends the Danube
winds his way past charming old villages and steep vineyards. We'll set
up an optional tour to Salzburg and become acquainted with the beautiful
Salzkammergut landscape with its mountains and its numerous lakes and
see Mozart's birth place in the Getreidegasse. We'll get to stroll
through the old city, showing you the most important sights of this old
Bishop's Seat. These are the Cathedral, the Festival Hall, St. Peter's
Abbey Church and its graveyard (tomb of Mozart's sister Nannerl).
We'll fly back from Vienna to Zurich and
then back to the U.S.
Cost, with air on Swiss Airlines, 10-nights hotel
accommodation (double occ.), daily breakfast, all ground transportation
between cities and guided tours in each destinations is just $2,595.
That’s a terrific group rate for this incredible vacation. $200
deposit to lock in your spot.
